Chart: Economic Growth Is Depleting Our Natural Wealth

A new report by the Demos think tank explains that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a poor measure of economic health. Not only are the fortunes of everyday Americans not tied to the rise in GDP, but this growth is based on the most dangerous kind of deficit spending — using up irreplaceable natural resources and ecosystems. Using data from the Global Footprint Network, the chart below shows how our planet’s biocapacity is being sacrificed for short-term rewards that mostly go to the richest few.